The Metropolitan Opera of New York kicks off its 2025-2026 season with a bold, politically charged opera inspired by comic book heroes and contemporary issues. With a lineup featuring both new works and star-studded performances, the Met is embracing innovation to attract a younger, more diverse audience.
The iconic Metropolitan Opera of New York is continuing its evolution amidst financial challenges, launching its new season this Sunday with a politically charged opera featuring a comic book superhero. The season also welcomes actress Sandra Oh, known for her roles in Grey's Anatomy and Killing Eve, in a beloved opera-comique. The Met is adapting to the times, exploring contemporary themes and appealing to younger, more diverse audiences.
The season opener, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, is a 21st-century opera, featuring stories that resonate deeply in today's world. Based on Michael Chabon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2000 novel, the opera follows two cousins—one fleeing Nazi persecution in Prague, the other in Brooklyn—who create a comic book superhero fighting fascism. Premiered in 2018, this opera arrives at a time marked by global crises, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as heightened political tensions in the U.S. The creator, composer Mason Bates, believes that the continued appeal of superheroes lies in the ongoing fight against fascism and authoritarianism. Bartlett Sher, the opera’s director, was especially moved by the depiction of the immigrant experience and the quest for refuge in America.
The Met’s 142nd season also promises other compelling performances, including Sandra Oh in La Fille du Régiment by Donizetti in October. In April, Innocence, a lyrical thriller about a school shooting by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, will take the stage. Later in May, The Last Dream of Frida and Diego, a magical-realism opera by American composer Gabriela Lena Frank, explores the lives of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
In an effort to attract a younger, multicultural audience, the Met is increasingly programming contemporary and reimagined works—dealing with themes such as mental health, war, and other issues. Struggling to recover from the financial fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company recently struck a deal with Saudi Arabia to perform in the kingdom for three weeks each year over the next five years.
With AFP
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